Therefore, even if westerners invite guests to dinner, they will order their own food and drink their own wine without imposing their will on others. China culture holds that individual will must obey collective will.
Since its purpose is to be human and related by blood, its manners and etiquette naturally value harmony. Therefore, people in China like to have dinner, enjoy delicious food and make peace. The author believes that in cross-cultural communication, faced with a strange culture, due to the different ways of thinking, living habits and behavior, cultural conflicts will inevitably occur in the communication process.
The author makes a simple comparison between Chinese and western table manners from the following four aspects, so as to communicate appropriately and appropriately in cross-cultural communication. First, from the perspective of tableware use, cultural differences between China and the West Chopsticks, knives and forks are the most basic differences in table manners between China and the West.
Professor You of Zhejiang University believes that the differences between eastern and western eating tools, chopsticks and knives and forks are related to the environment. Chopsticks should originate where there is bamboo.
There are many trees in the north of China and many bamboos in the south. Our ancestors used local materials, and bamboo has become the most primitive raw material for chopsticks in China. Knife and fork appeared much later than chopsticks.
According to Professor You's research, the original origin of knives and forks is related to the living habits of nomadic people in ancient Europe. They immediately live with knives and often cook and cut the meat to eat. Around the15th century, in order to improve the posture of eating, Europeans used double sharp forks.
It wasn't until18th century that there were four forks. Knife, fork and chopsticks not only bring about differences in eating habits, but also affect the concept of life of eastern and western people.
Professor You believes that knives and forks will inevitably lead to the sharing system, and chopsticks will definitely be accompanied by family members sitting around the table to eat together. The west divided itself into two from the beginning, which led to the idea and habit that westerners pay attention to independence and children will enter the world independently when they grow up.
The dining system brought by chopsticks highlights the family unit where the old and the young sit together, thus giving orientals a relatively strong family concept. The author reminds that there are different norms in the use of tableware in China and the West.
For example, don't play with chopsticks when eating Chinese food (it's very impolite to use chopsticks as chicken legs), and don't point or gesture at people with chopsticks. Of course, you must never suck chopsticks or put them in rice. This is a big no-no (like a funeral candle, it is considered unlucky).
There are also some taboos when using knives and forks. Don't tell me what to do when you have a knife and fork in your hand.
It is polite to put a knife and fork on a plate when talking or talking. Don't help others with your own tableware.
Don't bend down to pick up the tableware when it is dropped. Don't cut the food at once, especially the food with soup, eat it in small pieces and so on.
Second, look at the cultural differences between China and the West from the seating arrangement. Both China and the West pay attention to the seating arrangement of formal banquet activities. Traditionally, people in China entertain guests with square tables.
Opposite the door, the seats are on both sides. When entertaining guests, the elderly, guests or people with high status are seated, the male and female hosts or accompanying guests are seated, and the rest of the guests are seated in the wrong order.
Westerners treat guests with a long table, where the male and female hosts sit at both ends, and then arrange seats according to the order of male and female guests and ordinary guests, that is, men and women alternate, subject to the hostess's seat, the guest of honor sits on the upper right of the hostess, and the wife of the guest of honor sits on the upper right of the host. Western gentlemen who pay attention to "ladies first" will be attentive to ladies. In China, the left is the respect, and the right is the second; The first is respect, the second is time; China is the most important, followed by.
In the west, right is the most important, and left is the second. The author especially reminds western food seating etiquette: the most suitable sitting method is to sit from the left.
Don't put your elbows on the table or cross your legs. Don't leave during the meal (if you really need to leave, say hello to the guests around you in a low voice).
When eating, sit up straight, keep your back straight and stretch your neck. The upper arm and back should lean on the back of the chair, and the abdomen should keep a fist distance from the table.
Remember to eat with your head up. When you put the food in front of you in your mouth, you should eat it with your mouth instead of bending down. Thirdly, in terms of dining atmosphere, the cultural differences between China and the West are the most fundamental differences in table manners between China and the West.
The difference of dining table atmosphere, China dining table moves, while the western dining table is quiet. China people take food as their greatest pleasure in life, and the ostentation and extravagance and lively atmosphere are often breathtaking.
As soon as China people sit at the dining table, they will talk endlessly, help each other with food, persuade them to drink, and enjoy delicacies. This kind of banquet can reflect the enthusiasm and sincerity of the host, and the excitement at the table reflects the heartfelt joy of the diners.
To some extent, this "noise" can reflect the "harmony" of China's warm big family, harmonious neighborhood and China people's unity. As soon as westerners sit at the dinner table, they concentrate on cutting their own dishes quietly.
Don't make any noise when you drink soup. If the soup is overheated, wait until it is a little cooler. Don't blow with your mouth. Shut up and chew while eating.
Don't lick your lips or smack your lips. You can talk to guests while eating, but don't just talk to a few acquaintances.
If you don't know the guests around, you can introduce yourself first. Don't interrupt when others are talking.
Keep the volume at a level that the other party can hear. Chew food without talking. Even if someone talks to you, don't answer until you swallow your food.
Four. Cultural Differences between China and the West in Table Discourse When people in China treat people to dinner, there are many dishes on the table, at least seven or eight dishes. If it is a feast, there will be more main courses, more expensive and more exotic dishes, which can better reflect the director's hospitality and the identity of the guests. But the host often says things like "There is nothing delicious for everyone today", "Please eat more because the food is not ready", "Forgive me" and "I neglected you".
Western-style meals are usually four to five courses, and the best amount is to finish eating or have a little surplus. If you are at home, you'd better finish all the dishes, so that the hostess will be very happy and feel that everyone likes her cooking.
In the face of a sumptuous banquet, the host will say, "I gave everything to entertain everyone." It is easy to draw a conclusion that China people follow the principle of "belittling themselves and respecting others" through the reasoning of Chinese and Western hosts' dining table discourse.
Westerners, on the other hand, emphasize the values of efficiency and pragmatism and attach great importance to their face needs in communication. It's disgusting that westerners don't talk at parties.
2. The composition on the topic of "Culture at the Table" should be finished in China within one hour. It has been a separate dining system since ancient times, and it did not evolve into the current dining system until after the Northern Song Dynasty. The history of separate meals is much longer than that of combined meals.
As can be seen from the ancient murals, when eating, people sit behind their own cases, separated from each other by a considerable distance, each with a set of meals and each eating their own food. This is a typical dining system. This is what the famous Hongmen Banquet did.
The change from sharing meals to sharing meals began in the Tang Dynasty and was completed in the Northern Song Dynasty. This change is the result of social development and progress.
Evolution of distribution model
This is the most basic condition for the transition from separate meals to joint meals. In the case of relative lack of food, "per capita distribution" is a more appropriate distribution principle. To get the average, it is necessary to divide the food into equal parts before eating, which forms the original dining system. After all, people have different tastes, tastes and habits, and their needs are different. After the food is relatively abundant, people have the conditions to choose according to their different preferences, that is, "take what they need." This is the most suitable way to distribute meals.
Evolution of residential buildings
At first, the kitchen and dining room were integrated. People are used to building a fire pit in the house and putting cooking utensils on the fire. After the food is ready, it is distributed by fixed people and everyone eats around the fire. This is both a cooking center and a dining place. By the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the division of labor between kitchen and dining room had become popular. This division of labor promotes the refinement of meal preparation and reduces many dining processes that diners had to complete before. For example, diners can now do clumsy and laborious work such as cutting and deboning large pieces of cooked meat in the kitchen, and restaurants are full of finely processed meals. We can imagine that before this division of labor, if there were four or five people dancing in an ordinary family (in fact, there were usually more than four or five people in ancient families) and cutting the same plate of food in the same food container, it seemed to be asking for trouble, but with this division of labor, people only needed to get the food they wanted from the same food container.
Evolution of food diversification
Our catering is constantly improving, and the variety of dishes is becoming more and more abundant. The separate meal system obviously can't adapt to the development of food diversification. If eight people eat 12 dishes, each person needs nearly 100 kinds of tableware to share a meal, which not only wastes manpower and tableware, but also takes up a lot of space. It is almost impossible to put 12 utensils on everyone's small table (a low tool for holding food in ancient times).
Evolution of dining room furniture
We didn't have desks and chairs a long time ago. Previously, the ancients used to "sit on the floor and eat on the table", that is, spread a mat made of reeds on the floor as a seat, put a table or table in front of them to hold utensils and other things as a food table, and kneel on the table to eat when eating, which is called "squatting". After the nomadic people entered the Central Plains, they merged with the Central Plains culture and brought new furniture. As early as the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the nomadic Hu Chuang (a short chair) had been introduced to the Central Plains. The application of this chair has changed the original kneeling posture into a sitting posture, so that the short chair can no longer meet the requirements of sitting posture change and will be gradually eliminated. Moreover, the house at this time is higher than before, which just needs the cooperation of tall furniture. So the high-profile case began to appear and developed rapidly. Then, according to the original dining system, everyone should have a set of tall tables and chairs, and four or five people may be enough (in fact, it is already very crowded). Too many people will cause waste, and it is too heavy and takes up too much space. Why not combine them and eat at the same table?
Evolution of work and rest time
Our ancestors have always followed the natural law of "work at sunrise and rest at sunset". From the Shang Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the system of two meals a day was basically implemented, that is, "eating time (seven to nine o'clock) and market time (fifteen to seventeen o'clock)". Around the end of the Warring States period, the system of three meals a day gradually became popular, and "banquet assistance" was added (19 to 2 1 hour). If you want to eat at this time, you must be equipped with lighting equipment. At that time, the lighting tools were never as bright as our current electric lights, and the lighting range was very narrow. A separate banquet needs a lot of light sources, but it will still be dim and fuzzy. The use of combined meals can solve the lighting problem uniformly and conveniently.
The evolution of tableware
Our ancestors used knives and forks instead of chopsticks, just like westerners now. Knife and fork should be used with both hands, so people should keep a considerable distance from each other. At the same time, knives and forks are only suitable for short-distance transmission, probably confined to the plate on the chest to the mouth. If this distance is required by the dining system, it should at least extend from the mouth to the center of the table, that is, it should at least be longer than the radius of the table. Obviously, the knife and fork can't bear the transmission function of this distance. After chopsticks appeared, it was much more convenient to eat together. From this perspective, we can probably understand that westerners still eat with knives and forks, and it is mutually causal to maintain a separate dining system with them.
Please take the table culture of Shandong people as the main topic and write a short article about table manners in ancient and modern Shandong.
The problem of catering etiquette has a long history. According to the literature, at least in the Zhou Dynasty, the catering etiquette had formed a fairly perfect system, especially praised by Confucius in the ceremony of offering wine to Lu, which became an important aspect of showing the face of a big country, a state of etiquette and a place of civilization in successive dynasties.
As a tradition of Han nationality, ancient banquet etiquette has its own set of procedures: the host is invited to meet the guests temporarily outside the door. When the guests arrive, they greet each other, introduce them to the living room and provide refreshments. After the guests are seated, guide them to their seats, with the left side facing up, which is regarded as the chief. There are two seats relative to the first seat, three seats under the first seat and four seats under the second seat. When the guests are seated, the host toasts and dishes, and the guests thank each other with gifts. There is also a certain emphasis on serving wine at the dinner: respect the elders and guests first, and then the host. After the banquet, guide the guests to sit in the living room and serve tea until they say goodbye. This traditional banquet etiquette is still intact in most parts of China, such as Shandong, Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province, and it is reflected in many film and television works.
Influenced by the introduction of western food in Qing dynasty, some western etiquette was also introduced. Such as serving food, serving soup and serving wine, Chinese etiquette is also introduced because of reasonable and hygienic eating methods. The exchange of Chinese and western food culture makes the catering etiquette more scientific and reasonable.
Modern Chinese banquet etiquette is developed on the basis of continuing the tradition and drawing lessons from foreign etiquette. Its seating is based on the principle of the highest right in western banquets. The first guest sits on the host's right, and the second guest sits on the host's left or the first guest's right. The wine is served on the guest's right, first the guest of honor, then the host, first the female guest, then the male guest. Pour eight cents of wine, not too full. The order of serving is still traditional, cold first and then hot. Hot dishes should be placed on the left side of the seat opposite the guest of honor; Serve single dishes or side dishes, pre-dinner snacks, whole chicken, whole duck and whole fish and other plastic dishes, without head and tail facing the main theme. These procedures can not only make the whole banquet process harmonious and orderly, but also reflect and communicate the identity and feelings of the host and guests. Therefore, the etiquette above the table can make the banquet activities complete and comprehensive, and make the cultivation of both the host and the guest fully displayed.
People always think that home is only about decoration, furniture and other home elements. In fact, our home is our life, including all aspects of life. The change of family is due to the change of life attitude and concept, which reflects the quality of China people. Similarly, table manners can also reflect personal qualities and tastes. Moreover, China people must know a little about the complicated table manners of China people, so that they can live up to our thousands of years of historical civilization and not be ridiculous.
Table manners play a very important role in the complete life order of China people. They believe that dining is not only a way to meet basic physiological needs-it is also a first-class social experience. Therefore, it is particularly important to master some Chinese catering rules. Whether you are the host or just a guest, you should master some rules.
Round dining tables are very popular. Because there are many people who can sit, and everyone can sit face to face, the identity of the head of the family is not clearly determined by his seat on the western-style long table. Guests should wait for the host's invitation before taking their seats. The host must be careful not to let the guests sit near the serving table. This is a big no-no.
You must wait until everyone arrives before you can start any kind of dining activities-even if someone is late. Once everyone is in place, the host family can make the opening remarks. In the process of eating, the host must play an active role-it is completely reasonable to urge the guests to eat and drink to their fullest.
The typical dining table in China looks quite empty, especially in the eyes of westerners. You can see a bowl on the plate in front of each seat; On the right is a set of chopsticks and spoons, which are placed in their respective seats. On formal occasions, napkins will appear, mainly on the knees.
At a formal banquet, dishes are eaten like slides, one dish at a time. Surprisingly, rice and vegetables are different, but you can choose to eat them together. Because the dishes have their own characteristics, you should taste them separately, and you can only eat one from the bowl at a time, and you can't mix them. Don't eat with plates, just use bowls. Bones and crustaceans are placed in different plates. Dirty dishes must be replaced with clean ones.
Chopsticks are used for all food on the table except soup. Knives and forks may be provided, but as China people, it is best to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are tools for eating, so don't play-it's very impolite to use chopsticks as chicken legs, and you can't point or gesture with chopsticks. Of course, you must never suck chopsticks or stick them in rice. This is a big taboo-like a candle at a funeral, it is considered unlucky. Besides, you shouldn't keep turning around in a plate with chopsticks. You should look at the food you want to take with your eyes first. When you hold food with chopsticks, try to avoid touching other foods. If possible, use chopsticks and spoons around you. After eating or taking food, put the chopsticks back in the chopsticks holder.
China restaurant is not formal without tea. Therefore, it is wise to store different kinds of tea as much as possible to ensure that the most acute taste is taken care of. There are several points to pay attention to about tea. The person sitting next to the teapot is responsible for pouring tea for others and for himself-the order of pouring tea is according to age, from the oldest to the youngest, and finally for himself. When someone pours tea for you, it is polite to tap on the table with your fingers, which is to show your gratitude and respect to the tea pourer.
Speaking of drinking, almost everyone has experienced it personally. "Wine culture" is also an ancient and fresh culture.
In recent years, with the rapid development of social economy, people have expanded, but some people have gradually given up the traditional virtue of thrift. Table waste is a common phenomenon at present, and some people only care about saving face. Some people think that saving in eating is a loss of face and makes people look at jokes; Some people want to start cooking, so the phenomenon of half-eating and half-pouring happens from time to time. There used to be a very popular saying: "When I have money, I will buy two bowls of soybean milk and pour one bowl." Nowadays, many people live such a "rich" life. According to the statistics of relevant departments, consumers in China can support at least 200 million yuan a year for catering consumption above medium scale. As the old saying goes, courtesy pays off. It emphasizes the essence of China's food civilization-etiquette. "Civilized consumption, frugality and cherish happiness". These two sentences are rich and intimate, which not only embodies the trend of low-carbon life, but also highlights the fine tradition of the Chinese nation. The Chinese nation has a profound tradition of showing people by courtesy, and should show the image of civilization from the details. Every citizen should consciously inherit. * * * Participate in the civilized table action. Save honor and waste shame. Although rice grains should not be thrown away and preserved, we should cherish food and put an end to waste. It is a manifestation of respecting the labor of others and a manifestation of noble personality. Civilized dining table not only reflects the degree of civilization of a department, but also reflects the degree of civilization of a city, which is an important part of development. The civilized dining table inherits the virtue of China people's respect for labor and health. It is hoped that more people will begin to taste civilization through the action of civilized dining table, so as to effectively purify our social atmosphere and cultivate healthy and progressive civilized fashion. Let the theme of "walking into the dining table, saving the atmosphere and making people feel welcome" be more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Let's act, let civilized dining start with me, and let frugality become our conscious action from now on.
5. Write a paper of 1 on the cultural elements on the dining table. "Dinner is ready." With my mother's command, my father and I immediately came to the table.
While eating nutritious food, we listened to the latest news about the Sichuan earthquake on TV. Eating and eating, our whole family seems to be stuck in the throat, because there is a terrible and sad news on TV-"In June 10, a search and rescue helicopter found the wreckage of a transport plane sent by Chengdu Military Region. Because the plane hit the mountain peak and exploded, no one on board was spared. . "I heard that, I was silent.
"alas." With my mother's heavy sigh, we began to talk about the devastating earthquake in Sichuan. "In this earthquake, teachers and students are the most touching." Mom scrambled to say. "Yes!" Dad continued. "How many teachers have given their precious lives to save students?" "The greatness of maternal love can also be reflected in this earthquake." I've been unknown so, and suddenly I cut in. This sentence reminds me of that memory-people were shocked to find the body of a mother with a sleeping baby girl lying under it.
Looking at the rich dishes on the dining table, the people in the disaster area can only eat quantitative convenience food. Me. . Mom said with growth: "We must cherish this beautiful life!" "
Listening to my mother's words and looking at the dishes on the table, I thought a lot.
2.x month X day, my birthday has finally arrived. What kind of story will happen today? I've been speculating.
My mother told me that she would hold a "birthday party" for me today. She invited 16 people, including grandma, grandma and grandpa. I am very happy.
In the afternoon, my mother and I went to the supermarket to buy cakes. A big cake attracted me, and I chose him without hesitation.
At 3 o'clock, all the guests arrived, so we got on the bus and went to the hotel. At five o'clock, plates of delicious food were served. The guests smiled and said, "Today's food is delicious!" My parents and I smiled with relief.
Halfway through the meal, a bowl of steaming chicken soup was served on the table by the waiter, and the aroma was so fragrant that I hung three feet. Mother gave me a bowl. I shouted, "Wow! Delicious! "
After a while, the lights went out, and a big cake was served on the table and candles were lit. "Close your eyes! Make a wish and mom will take a picture of you! " That little candlelight flickered and shone on everyone's face, and everyone's face was full of smiles.
"pa!" Suddenly, the light came on. I picked up a plastic knife and was about to cut it off. The flash flashed smoothly, and my mother was no exception.
I divided the cake into sixteen parts. "Grandpa, this is for you!" "Grandma, this is for you!" "Grandma ..." The last one is mine. I ate the cake and felt very sweet.
This party is unforgettable, and I will remember it forever!
The question is more difficult, O(∩_∩)O Thank you.
6. In the article about the civilized dining table, the civilized dining table was written as "keeping honor and discarding shame". Recently, the reporter found in an interview that this slogan reminding the public to be frugal and civilized hung in some restaurants in Baoji, which seemed so pale and powerless. It's extravagant when ordering. After eating, a pile of leftovers not only appear on the table of large banquets and parties, but also on daily table consumption. During the interview, Aunt Guo appeared repeatedly. Yes, there are many. Like what? Two young people go there to eat. After a few bites, it didn't taste good, so I left immediately and left the table there. At least five or six were ordered. Do you think this phenomenon is good? What do you think? Every grain is so hard that even a baby can recite it. We usually eat as much as we want, but that's not enough. If we pack more, it's all hard money. "It's not just Aunt Guo who said this. In the interview, some restaurant staff also said that the bad habit of young people wasting food and not knowing how to cherish it is really serious. Especially in canteens and other places, some people even hold a mischievous attitude. Deliberately waste food. However, the kind reminders of some restaurant staff are often ignored, and the punishment measures of a few restaurants only serve as a warning to customers. Wang Shuai, a staff member of a cafeteria on Jianguo Road in the city, said: "In fact, there are two people in this situation, and they usually choose to eat after eating. If a person eats here, there will be at most one and a half plates or two plates. Basically, there are six or seven plates wasted most on the table, most of which are left on the top. What is not put into the pot can be recycled, and some processed ones can only be thrown away. Our staff also reminded that the excess penalty was 150g. 30. Those who have quality should either go back to eat the leftovers or come down to pay a fine, and those who have no quality will go on the rampage and scold the waiter. Every grain is hard. " The extravagant dining habits run counter to the tradition of "frugality" in China. It is urgent to promote table manners and advocate saving meals. It is understood that from the end of July, Baoji will officially launch a civilized table action with the theme of "saving for civilized dining" in the city, encouraging and guiding the general public to transform the concept of saving into morality, saving into health and saving into health into conscious action. Here we also hope.